Sep 16, 2007, 21:27 GMT
Houston, TX - Josh Anderson had a career-high five hits and drove in three runs as the Houston Astros destroyed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 15-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Chris Burke had three hits -- including a two-run homer -- and finished with four RBI for the Astros, who earned back-to-back wins for the first time this month. Cody Ransom and Ty Wigginton also homered, and Wigginton finished 3- for-5 with two runs scored as the Astros pounded out a season-best 22 hits.
Brandon Backe (1-1) earned his first win in more than a year, allowing just two runs and three hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts over six innings. Backe had Tommy John surgery September 6 of last season and made his first start of the 2007 campaign in a September 4 loss at Milwaukee.
Jack Wilson, Jason Bay and Carlos Maldonado all homered for the Pirates, who have dropped two straight.
Paul Maholm (10-15) had a disastrous return to the hill, lasting just 2 2/3 innings while surrendering 10 runs -- all earned -- on 11 hits with no walks and one strikeout. The left-hander had skipped his previous scheduled start due to a lower back strain.
Houston wasted little time jumping on Maholm, scoring five times in the first inning. Burke started things when he reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Anderson's ground-rule double to left. Mark Loretta knocked in Anderson with a two-out single, Wigginton's double put runners at the corners and Ransom clubbed a three-run homer to left that made it 5-0.
Wilson belted a two-out, solo homer for Pittsburgh in the second to cut it to 5-1, but the Astros got the run right back in the home half on Anderson's RBI single.
Houston exploded for another five-spot in the third. J.R. Towles singled home Loretta and Burke's liner to center plated later two more, forcing the Pirates to go to their bullpen. Juan Perez didn't fare much better however, allowing a pair of singles to Anderson and Hunter Pence before Carlos Lee's two-out hit scored a pair to make it 11-1.
Pittsburgh got another solo shot, this one from Bay, to make it a nine-run game in the fourth, but the Astros continued the rout in their next at-bat when Wigginton homered and Anderson singled home Backe to make it 13-2.
The Pirates cut it to 13-3 on Maldonado's homer in the seventh, and Burke's two-run shot for the Astros in the eighth inning capped the scoring.
Game Notes
Backe doubled, singled and scored twice...Maholm had won his previous three decisions...Wilson has three homers in his last two games for the Pirates...Ransom's homer was his first in the majors since August 14, 2004 when he played for San Francisco...Wilson's fourth-inning double was his 1,000th career hit...Maldonado's homer was the first of his career.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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